CHICAGO — The father of a five-year-old Chicago boy who has been shot twice in about 18 months has been charged with weapons and child endangerment charges, police said.

Kevin Collins, 25, was charged Wednesday with unlawful use of a weapon, felony possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, and six misdemeanor counts of endangerment of a child the day after his son, Kavan, accidentally shot himself with a firearm at the family’s home on the city’s South Side.

Kavan apparently got a hold of the weapon that Kevin Collins kept under his bed before accidentally shooting himself in the hand with it. Police said that the boy was transported to a nearby hospital and was in good condition.

Officers discovered that the boy’s father was a convicted felon — and as a result is prohibited from possessing a weapon — when they conducted a background check of the elder Collins on Tuesday, following the shooting. Collins had previously been convicted of aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, said Anthony Guglielmi, the police department's chief spokesman.

In the earlier incident in June 2016, Kavan survived being shot in the face when he was hit by a bullet as he walked with his mother on the city’s South Side, police said.

The boy lived in the city’s South Shore neighborhood in an area of the city that has seen an increased level of violence over the last two years. Since January 2016, Chicago has endured nearly 1400 murders and 7000 shooting incidents, according to police department data.

Citywide murders are down about 15% and shooting incidents have decreased by about 21% thus far in 2017. Yet, Chicago has recorded more than 630 murders and 2700 shooting incidents so far this year — more than New York City’s and Los Angeles’ combined tally for the year.

Collins is scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Thursday.

It marked the second time in a matter of days when an innocent child in the city has been impacted by gun violence. Police on Sunday reported that Brian Jasso, 15, was fatally wounded when he was shot as he delivered newspapers on the city's Southwest Side.

Police believe Jasso was mistakenly targeted in an ongoing gang dispute. No arrests have been made in Jasso's killing.